Sight for ordnance



I (No Modl.)

A. H. RUSSELL.

SIGHT FOR ORDNANGE. No. 257,077. Patented Apr.25,1882.

mmeyJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW H. RUSSELL, ()F WATERTOWN, MASSAGHITSETTC}.

SIGHT FOR ORDNANCE.

"ICIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent.N'0. 257,077, dated April25, 1882,

Application tiled July 36,1881. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW H. RUSSELL, ofWatertown,in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun-Sights,

of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In the discharge 'of guns, as heretoforegenerallypractieed,thesightingisdirectlythrough the rear and frontsights at the object, which obviously necessitates a greater or .lessexposure of the gunner.

The object; of this invention is to secure greater safety to the personof the gunner in sighting the gun, and to enable him to place and keephimself at such time practically behind and below the breech, and thuswith the breech of the gun as a protector against exposure and danger.

The invention consists, in substance, in the combination, with the frontand rear sights of a. gun, of reflectin g-surl' aces, arranged togetherupon a common holder, adapted to be moved in a vertical direction andfastened in position,

said holder being provided with marks or graduations, the rear sightbeing located upon or In connection with said holder, and arranged 1 tobe stationary or adjusted laterally thereon, all substantially ashereinafter described and ure 1 is a side elevation of a gun providedwith reflecting-surfaces in accordance with this invention, whichreflecting-surfaces, as shown in the view, are two in number andseparate from each other. Fig. 2 is an end View at the breech end of thegun of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, in diagram, illustratingthe-reflecting-surfaces as used without the front and rear sights, andthe gun as provided with prismatic reflecting-surfaces and with atelescope; Fig. 4, a similar View to Fig. 3, illustrating sight-pointsas used in lieu of'a telescope, as in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an elevation ofthe reflecting-surfaces of Fig. 1 in a plane parallel to the axis of thegun; Fig. 6, a sectional view of the reflecting-surfaces of Fig. 1; Fig.7, an elevation at rear, and Fig. 8 an QlBvt'tilOll at front side ofsame. M

In the drawings, A represents a gun supported on a carriage, B, and bothof any suitable style and construction.

a is the front sight attached to the gun, and b the rear sight attachedtoa holder, 0, through which it is secured to the gun, so as to beraised and lowered at pleasure in a direct line vertical to the centrallongitudinal axis of the .gun, according to regular established graduabyits two arms 0 0, extending over the edge 10 of holder, on which it canslide laterally, as desired, and yet hold the sight firm againstaccidental displacement. It can, however, be arranged to be secured,when adjusted, in any well-known ways, such as by a set-screw, Sec.

d and f are 'mirrorsor reflecting-surfaces made of any suitablematerial. These reflecting-surfaces are attached to, and carried by theholder for the rear sight, b. They are located the one above the other,with an open space, 9, between them, and in the direction of the lengthof the gun, and both surfaces are at an acute angle of twen ty-two andone-half degrees or thereabont to each other, and at an obtuse angleto,the forward portion of the longitudinal axis of the gun. The tworeflecting-surfaces areback of the rear sight, and, as shown in Figs. 1,2, 5, 6, 7, and 8, they are in two separate parts, whereas in Figs. 3and 4 they are in one piece in the form of a prism. The front and rearsights are reflected from the lower to and against the upperreflecting-surface, as also the object, and the line of sight from theeye is directed to said upper reflecting-surface at a vertical angle offortyfivc degrees or thereabont, and when such reflections of all ofthese things-to wit, the front and rear sights and the object-c0ineideupon the upper reflecting-surface the gun is sighted in so far as suchcoincidence is concerned, it being of course perfectly understood thatotherwise in sighting the gun is previously manipulated in the usualmode to provide for distance, drift, and wind. Thissightingwithreflecting-surfaces, as above described, is independent of any guidingmeans for the line of sight from the eye to the upperreflecting-surface. Such guiding means, however, may be used, if sodesired, and as illustrations thereof a telescope (shown in Fig. 3) ortwo separate sights, as shown in Fig. 4, may be used. These sightguidesfor the line of sight of the eye preferably are arranged to be adjustedas to their angle of inclination, and when sightguides are used the.rear and front sights of the gun may be dispensed with.

It is preferable to arrange the two reflectingsurfaces d f, whenseparate and distinct from 1 each other, so that the opening betweenthem at their front end may be adjusted as to its width in a verticaldirection, and to accomplish this result through and with the upper oneonly. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 5, and consists in hingingthe reflectingsurface (I, at its rear end, to the holder or support 0,and adapting its front end by a screwbolt, which passes through a slotin the holder and a. screw-nut on such bolt, to be fastened againstmovement when adjusted,

Reflecting-surfaces for sighting, as herein described, obviously may beused without either of the sights when a telescope or other guide forthe line of sight from the eye is employed, and this invention, as tosuch surfaces broadly, is not to be limited in its use.

The combination, with 'the reflecting surfaces, of a telescope or otherguide for the line of sight from the eye to the upperreflectingsurt'ace, while it has been herein described, as also theprismatic form of reflecting-surface, constitutes another invention, andone. which it is intended hereafter to protect by a separate applicationfor Letters Patent ot' the United States, and a description of the aboveis herein given for the purpose of better illustrating the scope ofadaptation of my arrangement of reflecting-surfaces. Reflecting surfacesarranged substantially as herein described obvious] y enable the gunner,when sighting the gun, to place himself behind and below the breech,

'and thus greater protection of the person is secured.

The holder for the reflectingsurt'aces and.

rectly to the holder G, can be marked or in-- dicated in any well-knownway upon one of the reflecting-surfaces, preferably the lower one. Thismeans of attaching the sight-holder secures an important advantage, inthat the sight canvbe accurately adjusted or set to its required heightand afterward placed on the gun by the pin and socket-joint attachment,which is of convenience.

'Having thus described my invention, what lclaim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- The combination, with a gun provided'with sightsb a, of the reflecting-surfaces d f, car ried, together with the rearsight, by a common holder adapted to be moved verticallyand fastened inposition, the rear sight, I), being arranged to move and be adjustedlater-- ally on said holder, all substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

A. H. RUSSELL. Witnesses:

/ EDWIN W. BnoW'N,

WM. S. BELLOWS.

